Letter: ‘Bunker-busting’ nuclear weapon is not needed

Monday, May 16, 2005 | 9:17 a.m.

The coverage of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York this month raised important questions about how the global community can prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and ultimately achieve the goal of universal nuclear disarmament.

One important step toward that goal would be for Congress to eliminate all funding for the new nuclear weapons that the Bush administration has proposed to develop next year. President Bush's budget request for 2006 includes $4 million for the first stages of developing a "bunker- busting" nuclear weapon.

Developing new nuclear weapons is at odds with the U.S. commitment to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. It undermines the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. And it is completely unnecessary as not only does the United States already have the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, but already has a "bunker-buster" type weapon.

The Nevada Test Site would again be the host for this "destructive detonator." Have we not done enough damage to Nevadans, Utahans, Idahoans and apparently Vermonters with probably many more Americans in between.

We want to commend Rep. Shelley Berkley who was one of the first to sign on to a letter urgently asking Congress to not proceed with this plan.

Not only can we not afford it moneywise, but we also cannot afford it diplomatically and we certainly cannot afford to harm our people or our Earth anymore than we already have.

PEGGY MAZE JOHNSON Editor's note: The writer is executive director of Citizen Alert, a self-described environmental justice organization in Nevada.